Making new friends in Luang Prabang

After the packed Wednesday, Thursday started off with a bang right in the morning. The new travel group consisted of three Americans from Arizona and four French, and we set off, once again very punctual, towards Elephant Village. In Luang Prabang, there are several companies dedicated more or less to the protection of elephants. It’s probably like everything else: ask 10 different people and you'll get 15 different opinions. No matter how you do it, you can't please everyone. However, I had done a bit of research beforehand and this provider from yesterday sounded pretty trustworthy.

In the village, there are six female elephants, rescued from the labor they had to endure in their first lives, and now they get to enjoy their retirement. Although they are still exposed to tourism, it pretty much secures them food and lodging - as these vegetarians eat around 250 kg a day!

After a short introduction, we went directly to the feeding, and I got to offer the ladies fruits from my basket of bananas. They either grabbed them with their trunk or rolled them in and brought them to their mouths. In any case, it was incredibly sweet – and the sounds too! A highlight for all ASMR fans. The snorting, smacking, and light rumbling - very enchanting. After this snack, the ladies then ambled off again, towards the jungle, to have their second breakfast. You can easily imagine: anyone who needs to eat 250 kg a day has no time to waste.

In the meantime, we took a boat to the Tad Sae Waterfall, which, I’m sorry to say, pales in comparison to the Kuang Si Waterfall. Especially because of all the trash. We later learned that the Chinese secured the concession for this waterfall not too long ago. It was then closed – but was supposedly